The 1970’s Biker fashion lookbooks and style

Elvis, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe and Marlon Brando gave voice to the new generation of youngsters in the 50s, for the first time in history the young generation started rebelling against their peers. Musicians and film stars spoke a language they understood and who they could identify their delusion and teenage angst. However, in the 1970 fashion did not only expression belonging to a tribe; it became a political tool as well. Hippies said no to the Vietnam wars, yes to drugs simply by their uniforms. This is the first post in a series of youth culture and fashion lookbooks from the 1970’s. See the published posts above.

The highways across America became a symbol of freedom; Hells Angels attracted young men offering an alternative lifestyle without a house in the suburbs, mortgage and regular working hours. Inspired by Peter Fonda Captain America films Easy Rider (1969) the culture grows strong and soon became an important part of the music, fashion, and youth culture. The punk youth movement that started in 1975 was a voice against the established, bands as Sex Pistols manage to shake up the UK and divided the country, those under twenty-five soon got Mohawk hair, dressed in over dyed worn out black jeans, leather jacket, DR Martens boots and heavy black eyeliner. Those over twenty-five hated their new music and revolting attitude. When punk culture was at highest in the UK the Sex pistol regarded the biggest threat to England by the British government; they manage to shake up the royal family and turned Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher into a Valium express.

1970’s Biker Fashion Lookbooks Boys

1970’s Bikers Classic Fashion Lookbook T-shirts and Accessories

In America, young surfers waiting restlessly for waves, and while waiting, they started surfing the streets. The summer of 1975 in California was extremely dry, a water restriction forced most pool owners to close their pool. A group of surfers known as Z-boys crew should revolutionize and create modern skateboarding one day in 1977. In New York juxtapose of culture, nationality and language made young people pulse to beat of the music; small clubs appeared such as Circus, Xenon and Paradise Garage in 1976. Disco made people dance, and the traditional 7-inches vinyl grew to 12 inches as DJs mixed songs to make dancers absorb with the beat.

The Gay movement and women’s liberation progressed, made people open up and be proud of it. Groups as Village People, Grace Jones, Gloria Gaynor, Chaka Khan, Bee Gees and the movie Saturday Night fever made people dance. DJs and doormen became stars, and club culture grow strong when Studio 54 open their doors in 1977 house culture was born. The party was wild; however, nothing lasts forever; the terror of AIDS made people scare, and the club closed in 1980; the decade was over.

Marlon Brando’s turn as the rebellious, Triumph-riding Johnny Strabler inspired the style of an entire generation, and The Wild One became a landmark for American motorcycle culture. The rebellious style became a new way of living, motorcycle clubs like Hells Angels and Banditos increased popularity and became a symbol of freedom living outside of civilization, riding the highways across the USA. In 1969 came the film Easy Rider, and the influence of youth culture was massive, the movie came with a soundtrack featuring songs by the Byrds and Steppenwolf.

These gangs of modern cowboys attracted both men and woman’s, to be a member gave respect, brotherhood, and protection. Their fashion and style gave signals of toughness; riding without a helmet gave an impression; live fast and die young. Their uniform wearing a heavy black leather jacket, black jeans, and engineering boots symbolized their tribe of belonging, supplied by body art (tattooing) and the large Hells Angels symbol embroidered back on the leather jacket. Finally, their horse, a custom-built American Harley Davidson bike. In 1960 and 1970 biker movies was big Easy Rider (1969), Five the Hard Way (also known as The Sidehackers) (1969), Free Grass (also known as Scream Free!) (1969), Hell’s Angels ’69 (1969) Angel Unchained (1970), Angels Die Hard (1970) and The Black Angels (1970) just to mention a few